(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a separator, a rechargeable lithium battery, and a method of manufacturing a rechargeable lithium battery. More particularly, the present invention relates to a separator having excellent antistatic characteristics and a rechargeable lithium battery including the same.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Rechargeable lithium batteries have become overwhelmingly used as power sources for electronic devices such as mobile phones, digital cameras, digital camcorders, notebook computers, and the like. A conventional rechargeable lithium battery includes a positive electrode including a positive active material, a negative electrode including a negative active material, a separator interposed between the positive and negative electrodes, and a non-aqueous electrolyte. A separator included in a lithium battery has been known to be formed of a polymer porous film (see, for example, Japanese Patent laid-open No. 1999-329392 entitled NONAQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE SEPARATOR AND MANUFACTURE THEREOF, filed on the 5 Nov. 1998 by Ishizaki Satoru and Matsushita Kiichiro).
Since a conventional separator easily generates static electricity, it may stick to a worker or to a machine during manufacture of a rechargeable lithium battery including the separator thereby, causing a handling problem. In addition, since the separator easily causes static electricity, impurities or dust may be absorbed into the battery. In other words, the impurities may be produced from an active material included in a rechargeable lithium battery during the process of manufacturing the rechargeable lithium battery, and dust which may exist in the manufacturing environment, may then be absorbed in the separator. The impurities or dust absorbed in the separator during the manufacturing process could easily cause a short cut of a rechargeable lithium battery.